Kate had to admit there was a kind of magic about weddings.
She hummed to herself as she walked from the reception to the cloak room, smiling at the woman who handed her the silk lined coat that was a current favorite, placing her purse and her flowers on the counter as she shrugged into it.
Her flowers.
Her bouquet.
Her bridal bouquet.
As traditions went, it wasn't so bad, she mused.
Kyra and her husband's wedding had been the epitome of class, take two a smaller, simpler version of what they'd originally planned, and it had been an honor to attend.
Even if - Kate's cheeks warmed - she had found her way into the spotlight when Kyra threw the bouquet. It wasn't like she'd made a move toward it, hadn't reached for it, or tried to catch it. But she'd played enough baseball as a kid to know that if something was coming for you, you opened your hands. Castle had given her a sidelong glance, and she'd averted her eyes promptly, unwilling to deconstruct the intent behind his look.
She snorted to herself, picking up her handbag and the flowers, and turned toward the door, ready to leave. Life would be back to normal soon enough; she and her father had plans for the following weekend's baseball game, and she was having drinks with Lanie next week. She'd put her flowers into a vase at home, go back to work tomorrow as if nothing had happened, and let the magic of tonight fade into memory.
After all, she was hardly going to get married. Not next, the way tradition dictated, and probably not at all. Maybe not never, but without a boyfriend, let alone a serious relationship-
"Beckett!" Castle's face was flushed as he hurried after her, and she frowned as he matched her step. "Heading home?"
"Mmm," she said, nodding her head in agreement, her thoughts still a million miles away as they stepped onto the pavement and she put her hand out for a cab.
A taxi pulled up, and Castle opened the door for her.
She stepped into the vehicle, sliding across the seats automatically as Castle followed her in, closing the door behind him.
"Where to?" asked the cabbie, and the two voices spoke at once.
"East Village."
"SoHo."
"Wait, what?" Kate asked.
"Sorry." Castle nodded, contrite, and directed his attention to the driver. "East Village, first, please. 3rd Street."
"You got it," the driver replied, pulling out into the traffic.
"No." Kate tried again. "I mean, what are you doing here? With me?"
"Uhhh… going home?"
"In the same cab?"
"Well we went to a wedding together?" Castle looked dumbfounded, and Kate narrowed her eyes at him. "Did- didn't we?"
"Yes," Kate said. "But not like… I mean, we went to a wedding. But not together. Neither of us had a formal invitation, Castle."
"But we did go together," Castle pointed out. "Kyra asked if we would come and so we went after work."
"But it wasn't-" Kate shook her head. "Never mind."
"Wasn't… a date? Is that what you were going to say, Beckett?"
Kate felt her cheeks heat, but she shook her head, denying it. "No. No! I was just-" She changed tacks, trying to stop before this spiraled out of control. "The East Village is out of your way, is all. I figured it would be quicker for you to take your own cab back to your place."
"I guess it wasn't a date," Castle mused, apparently not listening to her anymore. "I mean, if it was a date, I would have picked you up at your apartment. And I would have brought you flowers." He grinned, his eyes falling to the bouquet in her hands. "Huh. Well, I guess we've got that covered. Nice catch, by the way."
Beckett rolled her eyes. "This isn't a date," she reminded him, her tone flat.
He chuckled in response. "I'd probably take you somewhere a bit nicer than my ex's wedding. Not that it wasn't lovely."
"It was lovely," Kate agreed, dipping her head and training her gaze on the flowers in her lap. Were cabs always this small? Because even with the middle seat free, Castle seemed to be spilling into her space, his hand resting lightly on the seat between them, his frame angled toward her.
"Anyway," Castle continued as if she hadn't spoken, "dinner is always a good first date, a lot less pressure than a wedding. Besides, sharing canapes with a few dozen people certainly isn't my idea of intimate."
"Dinner is good," Kate said, her admission a surprise even to her. She wasn't going along with this. She wasn't. She took a deep breath, turning to look out the window, trying to ground herself by focusing on the city rushing by. The weather had taken a turn, and rain was falling heavily. The streets were slick with it, headlights and traffic signals reflecting against the pavement and lighting up the city.
"Where would you like to go for dinner, Kate?"
His boldness in using her first name had her attention, and she jerked her head up as the cab pulled over. "We're here," the driver announced.
"What?" she managed, an inelegant tumble of words falling from her mouth. "Where? For dinner? What?" She shook her head, trying to get a handle on the situation.
Maybe she'd had too much champagne at the reception? But she'd only had one glass. This kind of confusion wasn't the kind of haze from a drink or two, it was - she rolled her eyes, as she named it in her head - the Castle effect.
She was usually immune to his flights of fancy, usually a step ahead of his train of thought, his wordplay. Obviously, though, she was tired; she should have gone home and taken a bath after a busy case instead of joining him at Kyra and Greg's wedding.
The scent of the flowers, her hands clenched around them now, permeated the taxi, and she inhaled, trying to calm herself before she said anything else.
Before she could, though, he spoke. "You heard me," he said, a husk to his tone that she didn't recognize. "I'd like to take you out for dinner. There's a lovely little Italian place around the corner from the loft that I've got in mind, but if you'd like to go somewhere else, well, I'm okay with that."
Kate blinked, opening her mouth to turn him down, but something held her back, and she paused, her mouth closing again, before she cast her eyes downward, focusing on the bouquet again as she gave a little nod.
"Italian sounds great," she agreed softly, peeking up through her lashes in time to see a beaming smile flash across Castle's face.
"Tomorrow," he said, and the confidence in his voice sent a thrill through Beckett as butterflies came alive in her stomach.
"Tomorrow." She nodded in agreement, and he grinned, unbuckling his seatbelt. "What are you doing?"
"Walking you to your door." He indicated her apartment block with a tilt of his head, and she released her own seatbelt, scrambling to open the door of the cab. She stepped onto the sidewalk, and he was already there, waiting for her; he offered his arm, and she took it, her purse and flowers in her other hand. She let him lead the way to the building's entrance, letting go of him to find the key to the security door, and unlocking it.
"I'll pick you up at seven," he said, and she looked up at him - had he always been so much taller than her?
"Okay," she murmured. He took a step closer to her, crowding into her, and instead of resisting, she closed the distance between them, lifting her mouth to meet his as he kissed her, softly at first, then more insistently.
"Okay," he breathed, as they broke apart. Now, at last, his boldness was gone, the self-assurance dissipated by the moment, and it was Beckett's turn to smile, equilibrium returning to their relationship.
"So was this a date?" she teased. "Because first kisses are usually a first date kind of thing…" She let the sentence hang there, biting her lip in amusement as she watched his adam's apple bob up and down while he sought a response.
"Yes? It's- No. I mean-"
She laughed, and his tension diffused.
"How about I take you out tomorrow, and then you be the judge of whether this was our first date or not?"
"Mm-hmm." She pressed her lips to his once more before opening the door and stepping inside, away from him. "First kisses are definitely a first date kind of thing. As for a second date-" she looked him straight in the eye. "You'll have to wait for tomorrow to find out what a second date entails."
His jaw dropped, and she drew her lower lip between her teeth as she took a step backwards, closing the door between them, then turning to walk up the stairs to her apartment.
Flowers still in hand, she breathed deep, inhaling their perfume as she unlocked her own door.
First date, second date. It didn't matter.
Unbelievable as it was, she and Castle were going out tomorrow night.
She shook her head as she filled a vase with water, arranging the bouquet in it and displaying it on the counter.
Unbelievable as it was, going out with Castle - and kissing him just now - felt right.
There really was a kind of magic about weddings.
…
Prompt: "A Caskett follow-up to episode 2x12 "A Rose For Everafter" that includes some type of acknowledgment of Kate catching the bouquet, and some kissing!"
Donor - Nic6879/ColieMackenzie. Hope you enjoy, Nic! Thanks to the team for organising such a wonderful tribute in honour of the amazing Stana Katic.